Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors A Bridges and R Wootten and Added Members: Mr C V Miller, Mrs E J Olivier-Townrow, Mr S C Rudman and Mr P Thompson.

It was noted that the Chief Executive, having received notice under Regulation 13 of the Local Government (Committees and Political Groups) Regulations 1990, had appointed Councillors N H Pepper, Mrs H N J Powell, Mrs J M Renshaw and T M Trollope-Bellew as replacement members on the Committee in place of Councillors C E H Marfleet, Mrs M J Overton MBE, P M Dilks and Mrs J Brockway respectively, for this meeting only.

Councillor Mrs C A Talbot declared an interest as she was the Executive Councillor for Adult Services and Secondary Education between 2005-2007 and as the Chairman for Education Overview and Scrutiny Committee between 2002-2005.

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the meeting held on 28 May 2015 be approved and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

(To consider any Call-Ins, should any be received)

No Call-Ins had been received.

(To receive a report by Steve Brookes (Programme Manager), which provides the Committee with the opportunity to consider progress to date with the Lincolnshire Broadband Programme) 

Consideration was given to a report and presentation by Steve Brookes (Lincolnshire Broadband Programme Manager) and Naomi Nutting (Project Support Officer), which invited the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee to consider the latest position with regards to the Lincolnshire Broadband Programme.

It was noted that the implementation of Superfast Broadband was one of the Council’s designated priority activities and scrutiny responsibility for monitoring this particular activity rested with the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee.

Detailed information was provided by way of a presentation, covering the following areas: -

·         Project overview;

·         Current Status BDUK – BT Project;

·         Phase 2 Funding; and

·         The Future.

The report outlined the current status of the Lincolnshire Broadband Programme.  It detailed the numbers of premises enabled, the number of structures completed, the levels of coverage achieved and the latest financial position.  The report also outlined the current status of the Phase 2 contract, which aimed to take Superfast broadband coverage to 95% of all UK premises by the end of 2017.

The key objective of the existing project was an aspiration to achieve 90% Superfast broadband coverage across the County.  Additionally, there was a second objective of 100% of premises being able to get download speeds at a minimum of 2Mb/s, known as the 'Universal Service Commitment'.

As of 20 May 2015, the following achievements had been made: -

·         Total premises enabled: 96,335 from an overall total of 156,667;

·         Total cabinets completed: 426, with a total of 593 new structures in place;

·         Anticipated Superfast coverage in the Intervention Area was quoted at 76.1% by BT in their original Invitation to Tender response.  When added to existing commercial coverage, BT had expected to hit 89% Superfast coverage across the County.  The project was currently running at 83.9% Superfast coverage in the Intervention Area, therefore 7.8% above the target of 76.1%;

·         The latest Milestone Payment request from BT was up to the end of March 2015.  The contractual projected total amount up to that date was £17.89m.  The actual expenditure at that date was £10.74m, giving a residual of £7.15m to be carried forward.  Under the contract, all residual funding must be utilised to further enhance coverage across the County.

Members were provided with an opportunity to ask questions, where the following points were noted: -

• Members were advised of what the procurement process was for the contract for the Lincolnshire Broadband Programme;

·         The Lincolnshire Broadband Programme was slightly above the projected levels of premises enabled at that stage, and it was over-achieving in terms of levels of Superfast coverage and the programme was underspent by £7.15m;

• It was noted that West Lindsey District Council had awarded a three-year contract to Quickline Communications to install wireless internet within 32 hubs, to improve internet access across its district.  Members were assured that representatives of the Lincolnshire Broadband Programme were in discussions with West Lindsey District Council and Quickline Communications on the delivery of Superfast broadband in the district of West Lindsey;
• A  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

(To receive a report by Tracy Johnson (Scrutiny Officer), which invites the Committee to consider a proposal for a scrutiny review on the Council’s Home to School Transport Policy in relation to Discretionary Grammar School Transport)

The Committee received a report which set out a proposal for a scrutiny review on the Council's Home to School Transport Policy in relation to discretionary Grammar School Transport to be carried out by a Task and Finish Group.

Members were informed that during the past year a group of parents in the villages north of Grantham had campaigned for changes to the Home to School and College Transport policy, in respect of transport to the county's Grammar Schools.  Following representations by the parents, and meetings with their representatives and the local MP, Councillor Mrs P A Bradwell, Executive Councillor for Adult Care and Health Services, Children's Services, asked the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee to consider at its meeting on 24 April 2015 whether this was a suitable topic for a scrutiny review.  It was agreed at the meeting that a draft proposal should be developed.

The Committee was guided through the scoping document highlighting the purpose for the review and main lines of enquiry.  It was also noted that the review had the support of the Executive Councillor and the Executive Director.

Members were provided with the opportunity to ask questions to the Scrutiny Officer responsible for the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee in relation to the information contained within the report and some of the points raised during discussion included the following:-

·         It was clarified that this review would be examining the policy in relation to grammar school transport only, which was from age 11-16;

·         It was clarified that grammar school transport and Post-16 transport were discretionary functions;

·         Members were informed that the Council had received a petition from parents who felt that they were being discriminated against by the existing policy as their children could not receive free transport to a grammar school, and therefore the proposal for a scrutiny review into this had been proposed; and

·         Concerns were raised regarding the scope of the review, in particular the reason why it was proposed to only review the policy in relation to grammar school transport, as it was felt that this would discriminate against non-grammar school children.  Further to this, it was explained that it was not possible to examine the full policy, which included fifteen elements, as this would be a vast review, lasting two to three years and therefore that is why it was proposed to review the policy in relation to grammar school transport only.

RESOLVED

(1)  That the proposal for a review of the Council's Home to School Transport Policy in relation to Discretionary Grammar School Transport be agreed.

(2)  That Councillor Mrs C A Talbot be noted as expressing an interest in participating in this scrutiny review.

(To consider a report by David Hair (Team Leader – Scrutiny and Member Support), which invites the Committee to consider the content of its own work programme and the work programmes of the Council's other scrutiny committees)

Consideration was given to a report by David Hair (Team Leader – Scrutiny and Member Support), which provided the Committee with an opportunity to consider its work programme and the work programmes of the Council's other Scrutiny Committees.  Copies of the individual work programmes were appended to the report and the following updates were received: -

i)       Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee

It was noted that the Committee would be invited to undertake pre-decision scrutiny in relation to Lincolnshire Health and Care at its meeting on 24 September 2015 and that an introductory report would be brought to the meeting on 30 July 2015. 

Further to this, the Chairman of the Health Scrutiny Committee for Lincolnshire agreed to email to all Members of the Committee a report on Neighbourhood Teams, by way of background information, which had been considered by the Health Scrutiny Committee for Lincolnshire at its meeting on 11 June 2015.

It was also noted that the Scrutiny Review Group was progressing well and a report would be presented to the meeting of the County Council on 18 September 2015.

It was requested that 'Councillor Call for Action' was added to the agendas of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee as a standing item, similar to 'Consideration of Call-Ins' and 'Consideration of Proposals for Scrutiny Reviews'. 

ii)      Adults Scrutiny Committee

There were no changes to the work programme.

iii)     Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee

The Scrutiny Officer advised that a report on 'Involvement with the Youth Cabinet' had been added to the agenda for the meeting on 11 September 2015 and that a report on 'Youth and Community Development' had been added to the work programme for the meeting on 16 October 2015.

In response to a question, Members were advised that the loss of funding for Homestart would not impact on the Troubled Families programme, as this was funded separately by Government on a payment by results basis.  

iv)     Community and Public Safety Scrutiny Committee

The Chairman advised Members that there were no changes to the work programme.

Members expressed their support for the Joint Ambulance Conveyance Project.

v)      Economic Scrutiny Committee

The Scrutiny Officer advised that a report on 'Impact of Transportation on Maximising Economic Growth Scrutiny Review – Specific Actions' had been deferred from the meeting on 21 July 2015 to the meeting scheduled to be held on 8 September 2015.

vi)     Environmental Scrutiny Committee / Flood and Drainage Management Scrutiny Committee

The Chairman advised that an additional meeting of the Environmental Scrutiny Committee had been arranged for 23 June 2015.  The meeting is to enable pre-decision scrutiny of the proposed decision to award a countywide mixed dry recycling contract.

It was also noted that an additional item had been added to the agenda for the meeting on 31 July 2015, to establish a small working group to examine waste collection issues across the County.

The Chairman advised Members that at the meeting of Flood and Drainage Management Scrutiny Committee on 29 May  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.